Hand boat-propelling machine.



Patented MayY 7, |90l.

No. 673,583. Y

s. w. Paourv. v HAND BUAT PROPELLING MACHINE.

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(Application filed Dec. 13, 1900.)

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No. 673,583-l Patented May 7, I90I.

A G. W. PRDUTY. HAND BOAT PROPELLING MACHINE.

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GEORGE W. VPROUTY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAND BOAT-PROPELLING MACHINE...v

SPECIFICATION forming pari', Of Lettel Patent N0. 673,583, dated lVIay '7, 190i.

Application filed December 13, 1900. Serial NO- 39,629- (NO model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom/ it Hefty concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PROUTY, of Boston, in the county of Suolk and State ofv Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Boat-Propelling Mechanisms, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to hand boat-propelling mechanisms, and is an improvement upon the invention shown and described in another application of mine filed March 24, 1900, Serial No. 9,995; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the accompanying drawings and to the claims hereto appended and in which my invention is clearly pointed out.

Figure l of the drawings is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention with the, covering-hood out in section and the upper portion of the operating-lever removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same with the covering-hood entirely removed, the cutting plane being on lines A A on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation with covering-hood removed and showing the upper portion of the operating-lever in position, the cutting plane being on line C C on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partial sectional elevation, the cutting plane being on line D D on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a group of pawls, enlarged; and Fig. 6 is a section of the same on line E E.

In the drawings, 1 is a tank-like frame to be firmly secured in the desired fixed position in the bottom of the boat, (not shown,) but which may be of any style or size that is ordinarily propelled by oars. The frame 1 has formed in the upper edges of its side walls suitable bearings 2 2 3 3, in which are secured in fixed positions the shafts 4 and 5, respectively, which are prevented from revolving by the set-screws 6 and 7 or in any other wellknown manner. The shafts 4 and 5 project outward beyond the outer faces of the bearings 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, and the shaft `4 has loosely mounted upon its outwardlyprojecting portions the U -shaped yoke 8, provided with the central hub 9, in a bearing in which is mounted the inner end of the propeller-shaft 10, which has secured thereto inside of said bearing the bevel-pinion 11, as shown. The yoke 8 has formed in each side arm thereof a slot 12 to receive a clampingbolt 13, which is screwed into a threaded hole in the frame 1 and serves to clamp said yoke to said frame in a fixed position and to permit a slight adjustment of said yoke about its pivotal connection to the shaft 4 to correct any inaccuracyin the alinement of the shaft 10.

The shaft 4 has fitted thereto, so as to be freely revoluble thereon, the two spur-pinions 14 and 15, upon the hubs of which are firmly secured, so as to revolve therewith, the bevel gear-wheels 16 and 17, respectively, which engage with opposite sides of the bevelpinion 11, as shown in Fig. 2.

The shaft 5 has mounted thereon, so as to vbe freely revoluble in either direction about said shaft, the two spur-gear wheels 18 and 19, which engage, respectively, the pinions 14 and 15, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft 5 has fitted upon its end portions, so as to be freely movable about said shaft, the lower y ends of the forked yoke 20, which constitutes a portion of the operating-lever.

So far the mechanism described is substantially the same as that shown and described in my before-cited application, except thatin my present invention the operatinglever, which is made in two parts, is so constructed that the upper portion thereof may be more readily removed and laid away when not required for use in operating the boat.

The upper end of the yoke 2O has formed therein the rectangular and tapered socket 21. (Shown only by dotted lines in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.) The two side arms of 'the yoke 20 have formed upon one side thereof the laterally-projecting lugs 22, to each of which is secured by a bolt 23 one end of the horizontal n.

IOO

pawls which are mounted on the shaft 27 point toward the bow of the boat, while the pawls that are mounted on the shaft 28 have their operating ends toward the stern, or vice versa. Each shaft 27 and 28 has set therein in a fixed position a spline-key 30 to engage `the pawls carried thereby, and each pawl has formed therein a keyway 31, the circumferential width of which is considerably greater than the width of said key, whereby said pawls are free to move about their shafts, while said shafts remain stationary 'to a sufficient extent to permit the operating ends of said pawls to rise and fall to enable them to pass from one tooth to another of the gearwheels 18 and 19, with which theyV are arranged to engage instead of with a ratchetwheel secured to said gear-wheel, as in my before-cited application, while at the same time if the shafts 27 and 28 have a half-revolution imparted thereto the keys 30 will by coming in contact with the farther sides of said keyways cause a reversal of the positions ofv said pawls and a consequent reversal of the motion of the propeller.

The pawls on each shaft 27 and 28 are made of diiierent lengths, the variation being substantially uniform and equal to one-half, onethird, or one-fourth of the pitch of the teeth upon which they act, according to whether two, three, or four pawls are arranged to act upon the same set of teeth.

The bar 24 has formed 'thereon the hub 32, in'which is set a stud 33, upon which is loosely mounted the bevel-gear 34, which is engaged upon opposite sides by the bevel-gears 35 and 36, mounted,respectively,upon the inner ends of the shafts 27 and 28, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The outer end of the shaft 27 has firmly secured thereonthe arm 37, having set in its free end the knob-like handle 38, by which a semirotation may be imparted to said shaft 27 in one direction, and through the action ofthe bevel-gears 35, 34, and 36 the shaft 28 will have a half-revolution imparted thereto in the opposite direction, thereby reversing both sets of pawls. -The reversing-arm 37 is provided on each edge with a Alaterally-projecting lug 39, arranged to serve as stops to limit the movement of 'said arm about the axis of theshaft 27 by coming in contact with Athe lip 40, projecting outward from an arm of the yoke 20, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3.

The operating-lever 41 has its lower end made rectangular in cross-section and 'tapered to fit the socket 2l, 'formed in the upper end of the yoke 20, and is provided at its upper end with two tubular bosses 42 42, in which are fitted the two wooden' handles 43 43 at a suitable distance apart to enable two parties sitting facing each other to grasp each a handle without conflict with each other.

A covering-hood made in two parts 44 and 45, of sheet metal, is fitted to the ra'bbeted upper edge of the tank-like frame and to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, said two parts of said covering being so formed as to leave a segmental opening 46 for the passage of the ends of the bar 24 and to permitafree movement of the yoke 2O and operating-lever 41.

The lower ends ofthe two arms ot' the yoke 2O have formed therein segmental notches, the extremities of which form shoulders 47 and 48, which alternately engage the upper ends of the springs 49, set in and projecting upward from the slotted blocks or lugs 50, formed upon the exterior of the frame 1, as shown in Figs. l and 3.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When it is desired to propel the boat forward, the reversing-arm 37 and handle 38 are in the positions shown in the drawings, with the free end of said arm pointing toward the bow of the boat, and the several other parts of the mechanism being in the positions shown in the drawings. Now if one or. more persons seize the handles 43 and move the lever 41 in the direction indicated by the arrows a on Figs. l and 4 the longest pawl of'the group above the gear 18 willengage a tooth of said gear and move it in the direction indicated by the arrowa on Fig. 1, thereby causing a rotation of the pinion 14 and bevel gear-wheel 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow b on Fig. 1 and a consequent revolution of the propeller-shaft 10 and pinion 11 in the direction indicated by the arrow c on Fig. 2, the gears 15, 17, and 19 revolving in directions opposite to the movements of the gears 14, 16, and 18 and the pawls arranged above the gear 19 being dragged over lthe teeth of said gear without exerting force thereon. When the motion of the lever 41 is reversed, one of the pawls of the group above the gear 19 engages a tooth of said gear and imparts motion thereto in the same direction as before, while the group of pawls above the gear 18 are dragged over the teeth of said gear without applying force thereto. As long as the lever 41 is vibrated as described, with the pawls in the positions shown inthe drawings, the .boat will be propelled forward, the group of pawls which at any time are not exerting force upon the gearwheel rising and 4falling `freely as they are dragged over the teeth of .said gear by virtue of the Wide keyways formed in said pawls. The motion of the lever 41 is continued in either direction until one of the shoulders 47 or 48 comes in contact with the upper end of the spring stop-arms 49, when the motion is reversed, the reaction of said spring stoparms assisting to make such reversal Without shock. If it is desired at any time -to reverse the motion of the boat and propel it toward the rear, the reversing-arm 37 is moved about the axis of the shaft 27 into the position indicated in dotted lines on Fig. l, thereby imparting a half-revolution to the 'shaft '27 in the Vsame direction and through the action of the bevel-gears 34, 35,'and 36 imparting a similar half-revolution to the shaft 28, but in the opposite direction. In making IOO IIO

these half-revolutions of the shafts 27 and 28 the keys 30, setin said shafts, acting upon one shoulder of the keyway in each pawl, cause all of said pawls to be reversed, when if the lever 4l be vibrated as before the boat will be propelled astern.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a boat-propelling mechanism comprising a screw-propeller its 'shaft and a double set of gearing constructed and arranged to alternately act upon said shaft to revolve it, a vibratory lever provided with a suitable handle adapted to be operated by one or more persons; two groups of double-toothed pawls carried by said vibratory lever and arranged to act alternately and directly upon the teeth of said two sets of gearing, without the intervention of ratchet-wheels, the several pawls in each group being made of different lengths, and adapted to act in succession upon said gear-teeth; and means for reversing the positions of said two groups of pawls.

2. As a means of reversing the motion of a propeller-shaft to which motion is imparted through two trains of gearing acting alternately upon opposite sides thereof, the combination of a forked vibratory lever; a tiebar connecting the two arms of the fork of said lever, and provided with the arms 25 and 26, and the hub 32; the two shafts 27 and 28; a group of double-toothed pawls of dilerent lengths carried by each of said shafts and arranged to rest upon and alternately engage the teeth of the driving-gear of each of said trains of gearing; the crank-arm 37; and the train of bevel-gears 34:, 35, and 36 connecting said shafts 27 and 28.

3. In a pawl-reversing mechanism the combination with a gear-wheel to be rotated in opposite directions by said pawls, of a vibratory operating-lever; a rotatable shaft carried by said lever; a spline-key set in said shaft; a plurality of double-toothed pawls mounted loosely on said shaft in positions to rest upon and engage the teeth of said gear-Wheel, and each'provided with'a keyway having a circumferential width exceeding the thickness of said key; and means for imparting a semirotation to said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 6thday of December, A. D. 1900.

GEORGE W. PROUTY.

Witnesses:

N. C. LOMBARD, J ERoME A. BACON.

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